Bardiya Film Festival Names Third Edition After Khaled Saleh

The third edition of the Pardyia Film Festival will be held under the name of late actor Khaled Saleh, recognising his contribution to Egyptian cinema and television.

Scheduled to run from October 10th to 16th, 2026, the festival will take place under the patronage of Minister of Culture Jehan Zaki and Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsi, with Azza Abou El Yazid serving as festival director.

Organisers said the decision to name the edition after Khaled Saleh reflects the impact of his artistic career, with the programme set to include events revisiting key moments from his work and highlighting his legacy. This year’s edition will feature a three-track competition structure.

The Flash Cinema competition is limited to films with a maximum duration of five minutes, while the General Competition accepts films of up to thirty minutes including credits and offers awards across categories such as Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Direction and Best Acting. A third competition is dedicated to films created using artificial intelligence.

Submission guidelines require that entries have not been previously published on social media platforms, with additional conditions outlined by organisers through the official application process. The festival is organised by the Pardyia for Culture and Arts Foundation, affiliated with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, and supported by the Ministry of Culture. 

It is positioned as the first festival dedicated to five-minute films. The previous edition was held in September at the Hanager Theatre at the Cairo Opera House and was named after writer Wahid Hamed. Earlier, the inaugural edition was dedicated to director Atef El Tayeb.